Carlin M. Canfield's Portfolio

As you are probably well aware, I... am Carlin Canfield. And this is? Well, this is my online portfolio, home to everything I've ever created and been proud of.

Who am I, you ask?

I am a filmmaker. I've known it since the August before my 8th grade year. To be more direct, I am a student, studying to become a writer/ cinematrographer/ director. It is through these means that I am best able to communicate with the world around me - to share a piece of myself and everything going on inside of my head.

My main interests lie in filmmaking, directing, cinematography, and editing. I am also into digital photography, photograph manipulation & digital design in Adobe Photoshop, theater, and dance. As for things I simply enjoy? Well, in that category we have online roleplaying, working on website design with HTML & CSS, playing video games, and listening to music. Academically speaking, I vary greatly from english & history, through psychology & sociology, and ultimately to math & science. When it comes to sports and physical activities I have attended the Morris Martial Arts Academy for 5 years and am currently a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Aside from that, I am also into cheerleading, swimming, and snowboarding.

Both inside and outside of school, I have a great group of close friends who present me with a wonderful selection of varied personalities and characters. My parents, my teachers, and my mentors mean the world to me. They allow me to be who I am and help me get to where I want to go. I am lucky, lucky in the sense that I have never been held back by the people around me. Coming from a family of math, science, and logic, I have crossed over into the world of arts with the full support of everyone in my local and extended family. For all of their support, and all of the help of all of my excelent teachers, I am very greatful. I am who I am, because of everyone around me.

But, how did I get where I am today? 

My father introduced my to still photography when I was still rather young. My parents bought me my own still camera and allowed me to use my father's professional-grade camera. When I determined my desire to become a director, a film industry director, my parent's supported me 100%, which is far more than I could have ever hoped for.

I applied and was accepted into the Morris County Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, my first true home away from home. I was given a boost towards my goals and a path to help me find my way. I also recieved the benefit of learning filmmaking from our AIE resident artist, David Landau, film/video professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

After contributing greatly to our sophomore class movie, I used the video as part of my application to the New Jersey Governor's School for the Arts. The summer following my junior year, I became one of nine film/video scholars accepted into the 2007 NJ Governor's School for the Arts, selected from all of New Jersey.

It was the most amazing experience of my life, one that I will never be able to properly express my gratitude for. This experience prepared me for college, made me more than ready for my next year's courses, and impatient to move further along in life.

Last year I was a challenger student at the County College of Morris (CCM) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). As a senior in high school and I took three courses at CCM and one at FDU each semester. By the end of the year, this allowed me to accumulated 21 credits worth of college courses and more than 160 internship hours at a local video production studio, Grey Sky Films.

Oh, I didn't mention that? Well, then - I also interned at Grey Sky Films, a video production studio located in Rockaway, NJ. So far, I went on a variety of shoots a general grip and occasional assistant camera operator. In terms of editing, I helped edit a few random projects and was thus able to get some experience in Adobe Premiere through practice as well as watching. The hired editor and I also worked together in Adobe Encore to create DVD menues for one of these projects. Then, on a separate day, we experimented in other programs to see what we could figure out.

And, where am I now?

Well, after graduating from high school last spring, I became a full-time student at Fairleigh Dickinson University. I am currently working towards a BA in Film and Animation, with my concentration on film. Due to my additional credits from high school, I am now a sophomore. My plan is to take a couple of extra courses over the summer and throughout my remaining semesters, in order to graduate a year early - spring of 2011. 

Well, how much more could there be?

Basically, I'm busy, and that's the way I love it. I function best when under pressure. I love what I do and I can't wait to do more. So, check out my site and see what I've been up to! Also, check out my list of random recommendations, and don't forget to check back for updates and additions!

 -Carlin M. Canfield (1/23/08)
(Last Updated - 1/14/09)

(All photographs copyright    
myself and my family)